Combined manifold and draft diverter



V; W. BELT March 24, 1942.

COMBINED MANIFOLD AND DRAFT DIVER'I'ER Filed Feb. 8, 1939 Kseznna M 6547 m /M ATTORNEYB Patented Mar. 24, 1942 COMBINED MANIFOLD AND DRAFTDIVERTER Verland W. Belt, East Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The BryantHeater Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio ApplicationFebruary 8, 1939, Serial No. 255,271

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in combined manifold and draftdiverters, the invention as disclosed hereinbeing embodied in a hood fora plurality of heating units generally of different types.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of apparatuswherein a plurality of heating units are mounted in juxtaposition toeach other and discharge into a common hood in which is incorporated asingle draft diverter serving all of the units.

Another object is the provision of a multi compartment casing, housingtwo heaters, the fuel connections for which are joined together, therebyfacilitating the installation of the heaters and lessening the costthereof.

Other objects and features of novelty will appear as I proceed with thedescription of that embodiment of the invention which, for the purposesof the present application, I have illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the pertinent parts only of adouble unit apparatus, with the front wall of the casing broken away inorder to more clearly illustrate the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view on a larger scale of the draft hood.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the hood, and

Fig. 4 is an end view of the same.

In the drawing, Ill represents a casing preferably formed as a frame ofangle iron covered with sheet metal. In the casing, there are aplurality of compartments, two being illustrated, which compartments areseparated from each other by a partition II. In one of thesecompartments, there is housed a furnace and in the other a water heater.In the furnace compartment, there is a gas burner 12 from which theproducts of combustion rise through a series of tubular conductors l3into a header M. A draft outlet l5 extends upwardly from the header M asshown in the drawing, and projects through a suitable opening in the topwall of the casing 10. Air to be heated is caused to flow exteriorlyover the tubular conductors l3.

In the other compartment of the casing, there is mounted a water storagetank l6 heated by a gas burner I1, and the products of combustion ofthis burner are vented through a draft outlet l8 which also projectsupwardly through a suitable opening in the top wall of the casing. Aninstantaneous type water heater may be substituted for the storage typeherein illustrated if desired.

The two burners I2 and Il are fed from a single fuel conductor l9 whichenters the casing at a convenient point and from which individualconductors 20 and 2| lead to the burners. In each of the branchconductors, there is a valve 22 and 23, respectively, which controls theflow of gas to the individual burners. While these valves areillustrated as hand valves, it will be appreciated that valves operatedby electrical energy or otherwise, and under control of thermostats (notshown), may be substituted, and as a matter of fact will be substitutedin most cases.

Over the top of the casing l0, assuming that the draft outlets l5 and I8extend upwardly through the top of the casing as herein illustrated, andin any event in a position to receive the outlets, I mount a draft hoodwhich in the present instance comprises front and back side members and25 and an upper closure having two inclined portions 26 and a centralhorizontal portion 21. The closure elements 26 and 21 which arepreferably formed from a single piece of sheet metal are flanged at eachside to engage the side wall members 24 and 25 to which they are securedby fastenings 28. In the horizontal element 27 I form a flue connection29 from which a pipe 30 may be caused to extend to a chimney.

The side members 24 and 25 of the draft hood are further connected andbraced by the manifolding means and the draft diverter now to bedescribed. The manifolding means according to the present disclosureconsists of two identical parts each formed of sheet metal flanged atthe side edges and dimensioned to fit between the side walls 24 and 25of the hood. Each of these parts comprises a short vertical portion 3|forming an end wall that closes the lower part only of the end of thehood, and a baffle 32 which is upwardly and inwardly inclined and stopsshort of the median line of the hood. The side flanges of these manifoldparts 3| and 32 are secured to the side walls 24 and. 25 of the hood byscrews 33 or the like. The gases discharged from the outlets l5 and I8are directed upwardly and toward the center of the hood by this manifoldmeans and pass outwardly through the opening 34 left between the innerends of the two baffles 32.

The draft diverter comprises two baffles 35 of sheet metal inclinedupwardly and inwardly and meeting in a line located preferably directlyabove the middle of the opening 34. As indicated in Figure 3, thebafiles 35 are positioned far enough above the manifolding means 32 toleave free passageways 36 through which the products of combustion mayflow after passing through the opening 34. The diverter elementcomprising baffles 35 is preferably formed of a single piece of sheetmetal and has side flanges which are attached to the walls 24 and 25 fthe hood by fastenings 31 After emerging from the passageways 36 theexhaust gases then flow upwardly between the diverter baffles 35 and theclosure walls 26 of the hood, being then mixed with atmospheric airwhich enters the hood at the ends thereof through the openings 38 abovethe end portions 3| of the manifolcling means, thereby cutting down thestrength of the draft to the desired point. When down drafts occur, thedownward flow instead of being permitted to enter the space within themanifolding means is diverted by the bafiies 35 and 32 toatmospherethrough the openings 38, the functions of the diverter therefore beingthe same as in the case of the conventional diverter positioned in theflue pipe of apparatus of this kind. In my construction, one diverterand one flue connection serve for the two draft outlets, saving expensein manufacture and in installation, and furthermore, the appearance ofthe apparatus is considerably enhanced.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In apparatus of the class described, a hood having spaced openings atthe bottom for the reception of a plurality of draft outlets, said hoodcomprising manifolding means for directing exhaust gases from all ofsaid outlets to a central opening within the hood, said hood havingopenings to the atmosphere exteriorly of said manifolding means, bafflemeans within the hood above the said central opening for directing downdraft away from said central opening, and a flue connection at the topof the hood above said bafile means.

2. In apparatus of the class described, a hood having spaced openings atthe bottom for the reception of a plurality of draft outlets, said hoodcomprising manifolding means adapted to embrace and cover said draftoutlets, said manifolding means having inclined upper walls leading toan opening in the top thereof within the hood, said hood having openingsto the atmosphere exteriorly of said manifolding means, a draft diverterwithin the hood comprising baffles spaced above said manifolding means,said baffies being inclined and meeting above the opening in saidmanifoldin means, said hood having a flue opening above said bafiles andarranged centrally with respect thereto.

VERLAND W. BELT.

